Trip to the past
by Shinyzenith
Summary: After Gohan saved her from Cell, Eighteen can't help but feel indebted to him. She decides to make a wish for him. But what should she wish for? Is there anything Gohan wants? And when she does make a wish, will it really turn out to be a good thing? Or will something happen nobody could have foreseen? Gohan finally spends some time with his father, but not in the way he expected.
1. The Wish

**A Trip to the past**

**Chapter 1: The wish**

I couldn't stop thinking about Gohan. Mere hours before, the boy had freed me from Cell and then he had killed that monster. And now, for some reason, I felt compelled to do something in return as a thanks. I just couldn't get that urge out of my head. Which then brought me to my next problem, what could Gohan possibly want that I could give him? I doubted he would want anything material, I didn't think he would be happy with some gift. No, it had to be something different. He wanted his father back, that much was obvious. But that was one thing I couldn't help him with. I could of course gather the dragon balls next year and wish for it. The problem was that the man himself, for some noble reason, didn't want to come back, so that wish was impossible. Too bad you can't resurrect someone against their will. This left me with only one thing to do, keep an eye on the boy and hope he lets something else slip I could wish for. Then all I'd have to do was gather all the dragon balls and make the wish.

From that day forward I studied Gohan a few hours every day. Sometimes I felt a little bad for spying on him, but it's not as if I watched him in the bathroom. I only did it for him, and that was enough of an excuse for me. I also became Krillin's girlfriend, this allowed me to get closer to Gohan inconspicuously. But don't get me wrong, I really do like Krillin. I also started collecting the dragon balls. To do this I 'borrowed' the dragon radar hidden in Gohan's home. After two weeks I brought the dragon radar back. I had collected four dragon balls, and I knew the location of the other three. The last three wouldn't be easy to get and she would only do it at the last minute. One dragon ball on Master Roshi's island, one at Capsule Corporation and one at Gohan's home.

After one year I still hadn't found anything I could wish for him, and I was beginning to get quite desperate. I was coming close to giving up, or just asking him if there was anything he wanted. I had talked to him at a party once, but he didn't like talking about himself, so that hadn't helped either. All she had found out was that he had a little brother now, called Goten and that his mom had put him back to studying eight hours a day. One day I was spying on him while he sat in a clearing in the forest surrounding his home, seemingly lost in thought. It was getting late in the evening and the shadows were getting longer. But most importantly, Gohan was talking to himself, or rather, his father.

"Dad", he said, "I really miss you, and so does mom. We understand why you didn't come back but it still hurts, a lot." He sighed and looked up into the sky.

"I just wish I could spend some more time with you", he said after a long pause.

Finally something to wish for. It was just so simple, why didn't I think of that myself? It would've spared me a whole lot of trouble. I quickly ran to the house and stole the dragon ball when Gohan's mom, Chi-Chi, wasn't looking. Once again I was really glad no one could sense my ki, that way it was far easier to sneak around. Then I flew away to get the other dragon balls as fast as possible.

In the end it took me about an hour to gather the remaining dragon balls and find the most remote place on Earth to summon the eternal dragon. I wanted to finish as quickly as possible, before anyone found out I was making a wish. The question wasn't if anyone would find out I made a wish, but rather when someone would find out I made a wish. So I quickly summoned the dragon and told it my wish.

"I wish for Gohan Son to be able to spend some more time with his father!"

The dragon's eyes glowed red for a second, then he said: "Your wish has been granted, I can fulfil one more wish."

Since I couldn't think of anything else to wish for I just wished for nothing. The dragon disappeared and I got out of there as fast as I could. I hoped Gohan would be happy with the wish.

* * *

_I got this idea last night and couldn't get it out of my head, so I wrote it down. This chapter was only an introduction, that's why it's so short. I'll upload the second chapter as fast as possible. Probably later today, or tomorrow._

_I hope you liked it. Please review, it would make me really happy._


	2. Life in the Past

**A Trip to the past**

**Chapter 2: Life in the past**

I looked around the clearing I sat in. It was getting late in the evening and the orange rays of the sun made for an amazing view. I liked coming here because it was one of the few places I could truly relax. The way the grass waved in the wind really gave me a peaceful feeling, something I desperately needed these days. What with a little brother who made a lot of noise around the house and a mother who hadn't gotten over her husband's death yet. Admittedly I hadn't completely gotten over my father's death either, but I was getting better. It didn't hurt as bad as it used to. And that was the other reason I liked to come here, this place reminded me of my father, it made me feel connected to him.

"Dad", I said out loud, "I really miss you, and so does mom. We understand why you didn't come back but it still hurts." I sighed, I hoped he had heard me. I looked up into the sky, the moon was out and I could already see a few stars appearing.

"I just wish I could spend some more time with you", I said after a while.

I heard the rustling of leaves and looked down in reflex. There between the trees I had seen a short flash, as if the sunlight had been reflected on something metallic. Like a watch, or a bracelet. I stood up and followed the sound, soon I realised it was headed towards our house. I picked up the pace and when I finally burst through the trees near the house, all I could see was a flash of someone taking off into the air. But that short flash was all I needed, it was android Eighteen, and she was carrying the four-star dragon ball. I quickly ran into the house, took the dragon radar and started following the signal. I wondered what she needed the dragon balls for. My first reflex was to try and stop her, but I reminded myself she was a good person now. I had even talked to her at a party and she had seemed really nice. No, I would wait and see what she wished for. I could confront her afterwards. Besides, I was really curious as to what she would wish for. I followed her at a good distance and made sure not to raise my power level too high, it also helped that she seemed very distracted. Any other day she would have long confronted me about following her.

After an hour she finally landed in what had to be the most remote place on Earth, and she summoned the dragon. I hid behind a tree not too far away, so I could hear what she wished for.

"I wish for Gohan Son to be able to spend some more time with his father!", Eighteen said in a loud voice.

I stood there frozen in shock behind a tree. She must have overheard me when I was talking to myself. But why would she wish for such a thing? It was nice of her to try to help me in some way, but still, I didn't ask for it. But before I could ponder the question anymore, Shenron's eyes glowed a bright red and I knew no more.

My body felt as if I'd been sparring with both Piccolo and Vegeta for the past ten hours. Which meant it hurt, a lot. Slowly I tried to open my eyes, but almost immediately I clenched them shut again. I groaned in pain, the sun was out and I had looked straight into it. I tried again, this time facing away from the sun, and after about a minute my eyes had gotten used to the bright light. The first thing I noticed was that it was dawn, the sun was rising, not setting as it had been when Ifell unconscious. So whatever Shenron did, it caused me to be unconscious for the whole night. The place I was in looked similar to the place from last night, but there were a few differences. For instance, the clearing was larger and the trees were a lot smaller. While last night there had been a forest, now it was just a group of a few large trees. It was obvious something had changed. Had the dragon transported me to Other World? Only one way to find that out. I quickly scanned for the nearest ki signal. I soon found one a few miles to the west. I started running in that direction, I didn't want to fly to avoid notice, just in case.

After five minutes I reached a small town. It was maybe seven thirty in the morning so there weren't a lot of people around yet. I slowly walked through the streets and not a single person I encountered had a halo above their head. Not Other World then. That must mean I was still on Earth, so that meant I should be able to find some familiar ki signals somewhere. I quickly extended my senses and searched for anything familiar. After a few minutes of no results I started getting nervous. Where was everybody? They couldn't all have decided to suppress their power levels at the same time, right? If they thought of this as a joke then I wanted it to end now. But I couldn't really imagine Vegeta giving up on his precious training time to play a prank on me. Then I found a signal, Master Roshi's. I exhaled in relief. I searched carefully for any familiar ki signals in the same area. What I found made me gasp in shock. It was my dad's ki! And Krillin's was near too! But there was something wrong with the power levels. They were way too low, I couldn't imagine any reason for them to lower it like that. I stopped my pondering and took off into the air, towards my father. The people around me gasped, apparently I had still been standing in the middle of the town square. My father was pretty far away, but I could fly fast so it wouldn't take too long to get there.

After a few minutes of flying, when I was about halfway to my father, I reached Papaya island, this was the place where the world tournaments were held. I had seen it on TV a few years ago, after the city had been destroyed they had built a whole new ring. A large one with a lot of space for the audience. But as I looked at the island now, I couldn't see the ring. In the place where it was supposed to be only stood a small building with an equally small ring next to it. I decided to land and see what was wrong. Once I had descended right in front of the entrance I read the sign on the gate.

_21__st__ World Martial Arts Tournament_

This couldn't be right, the twenty-first world martial arts tournament was held eighteen years ago! I quickly ran towards the smaller sign next to it.

_Martial artists can register for the twenty-first World Martial Arts Tournament on the sixth of May between 6:00 AM and 8:00 PM. The tournament itself will start the following day on the seventh of May at 9:00 AM._

This couldn't be right, could it? Was I really somehow transported eighteen years into the past? It didn't make any sense. I knew time travel was possible, but why would Shenron transport me into the past just so I could spend time with my father? I had to calm down, I couldn't think clearly when I was this unnerved. If I really was somehow transported into the past then that meant my dad would take part in this tournament. So, I just had to wait until the day of the tournament registration and then see whether my dad showed up as a kid or not. So first, I had to figure out which date it was. I slowly approached an old man who was walking his dog.

"Um, excuse me sir, but I was wondering if you knew how many days it is until the tournament begins?", I asked. The man looked me over as if judging me.

"Excited to see some fights boy?", he asked chuckling, "Tournament registration is tomorrow, and the day after that the tournament itself is."

"Alright, thank you sir", I said smiling.

Then I turned and ran off. I had just one day before I might or might not see my dad as a kid, I had to be prepared. I walked out of the city and looked for a good place in the woods where I could sleep. In the end I found a nice cave where I could sleep until the next day. I started gathering some firewood and caught myself a bear. I would eat lunch now, and then make a disguise for when I met my father. I needed a disguise because I was way too similar to my father. I needed something to avoid suspicion. While eating I got an idea. I could change into a super saiyan. My hair and eyes would be completely unrecognisable, and it would be good training to try to suppress my power level while transformed. I had already mastered transforming into a super saiyan 2 but I hadn't perfected it yet like me and my father had done with the normal super saiyan. That was decided then, I would walk around as a super saiyan 2. I would probably attract a lot of attention, but at least not the '_Wow Goku, he looks a lot like you_' kind of attention. I also had the problem that my outfit was almost an exact copy of Piccolo's when he would appear at the twenty-third tornament in six years. But that was in the future, I didn't have time to worry about it now. For now I just had to concentrate on keeping my power level low while being transformed. Deciding I shouldn't postpone transforming any longer, I gathered my power and transformed into a super saiyan 2.

It was a good thing nobody could sense power levels yet, otherwise they might have been in for a surprise. Now I just had to hope Frieza's scouters hadn't picked up my power level on the other side of the universe. I quickly lowered my power level as far as it would go and thought about what I was going to do when I met my father. I knew I shouldn't try to change history, but it was Shenron that sent me here. So maybe I was allowed to change the past. Maybe I was _expected_ to change the past. I didn't know, but one thing I did know. If I met my father, I would become his friend. It shouldn't be too hard. We could easily bond over food, seeing as we could both eat a lot more than normal people. All I had to do now was hope my tail wouldn't grow back. I chuckled at the thought. For the rest of the day I worked on suppressing my power and fighting without punching a tree a hundred feet into the air.

That night I went to sleep with a smile on my face. I would see my father again, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop me from it.

* * *

_Alright, that's the second chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm starting on the third chapter in a minute, then Gohan will finally get to see his dad as a kid. And who knows, I might be able to put the preliminaries in it too._

_Please Review, and I'll try to upload the next chapter tomorrow, unless it's not finished yet, if that's the case I'll do it sometime during the weekend._


	3. Tournament Registration

**Trip to the Past**

**Chapter 3: Tournament Registration**

I woke up the next morning to sunlight streaming through the leaves of the trees, straight into my face. I opened my eyes, groaned, and shut them again. Once more I had woken up with the sun in my eyes. I just hoped it didn't become some sort of tradition. I stood up, shrugged the last bit of sleep out of my body and started my search for some breakfast. I soon found a few berries and quickly ate them. It wasn't nearly enough to satisfy my appetite, but I wanted to be there when my father arrived for the tournament. I had no idea when he would arrive but I had already overslept and so I couldn't spend a lot of time on breakfast. Judging from where the sun stood it had to be around eight o'clock, which meant I had overslept by around two hours. Though it was a very unlikely scenario, I really hoped my father hadn't decided to arrive early for once. It was true both he and Master Roshi usually liked to sleep pretty late, but that didn't stop me from worrying. If he was excited it wouldn't be too weird for him to wake up early for once. I had reached the city by now and I looked at all the shops I passed by, the food that was on display made my mouth water. It looked really delicious, though my hungry stomach may have made it appear more tasty than it actually was. Too bad I didn't have any money to buy food with, Eighteen should have wished for that with her second wish. Now that it crossed my mind, I had no idea whether Eighteen made a second wish. If that was the case I would probably find out sooner or later. My stomach growled, interrupting my line of thought. I was really going to eat a lot later, but for now my father was more important. It was a good thing that once I was one of the finalists I would get food for free. I only had to get through the preliminaries tomorrow. Not to mention, after I won the tournament I would have more than enough money to buy some food. I wasn't even considering the option that I would lose. Vegeta would be proud of my arrogance.

In the distance I could see the registration boot coming into view. There was a short line but nothing that would take too long. After a few minutes in the line it was my turn. The man behind the desk seemed a little shocked at my young age but didn't comment on it in any way.

"Are you entering the tournament yourself, young man?", he asked.  
A simple "Yes" was my only response.  
"Alright then, just give me your name and I'll write it down for you."

A name! I knew there was something I had forgotten! For obvious reasons I couldn't use my real name. Goku would recognize his grandfather's name anywhere, there was no doubt about that. But what should I use as a name? I had to use something fairly familiar, so I would automatically react to it. But I had to be careful not to pick a name of someone my dad knew in this time. Neither could any of his friends know the name. Of course, I could use the name Goten. It was my little brother's name so I was familiar enough with it, but nobody would have that name for another eighteen years. It sounds a bit like Goku, but it was at least a whole lot better than Gohan. The man who was writing down the names seemed to be getting a little impatient so I quickly told him my name.

"My name's Goten." He looked at me for a moment but then just continued.  
"Alright Goten. Preliminaries start tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, be sure to get here on time or you'll be disqualified."  
"Of course, thank you sir."

Now that that was all taken care of I positioned myself against the wall a few yards away and prepared myself to stand still for a few hours, waiting for my father to arrive. Knowing him, he'll be fashionably late.

After waiting for a few hours in vain, they still hadn't arrived yet, I was starting to get really hungry. I could of course just sense Master Rishi's ki and figure out how long it would take for them to get here, and then return just as they arrived. But I wanted it to be more of a surprise. Also, if I sensed Master Rishi's ki, I wouldn't be able to resist searching for my dad's. I didn't like feeling the ki of my dad in this time. If I did then my head would tell me my dad was here, but my heart said he couldn't be here, that he was dead. The only way I would really believe my father was here and alive was if I saw him. So I would wait until I saw him before I tried to sense him. It was almost lunchtime now and I really needed to eat, the small breakfast I had wasn't enough by far to even come close to satisfying my hunger. I couldn't take it anymore, I had to eat something. saiyans weren't made to wait on an empty stomach. I decided to go for a quick hunt in the forest. I took down a bear just like I had done last night. But instead of preparing a fire just fired a quick ki blast at it and hoped it would taste good. It didn't taste too bad, perhaps a bit raw on the inside but I didn't really mind. By the time I got back to the registration boot about twenty minutes had passed. I resumed my position against the wall and waited. It was unlikely they had gotten registered while I had been eating. Goku would want to eat during lunchtime. I remained like that against the wall, leaning against the wall, arms crossed and glared at everyone who dared to look my way. I was probably doing a pretty good job of imitating my teacher, Piccolo, especially since I wore the same clothes he did. There were times during the day when nobody would approach to register for twenty minutes, and at other times there would be a line of five people waiting to give up their name.

It was only in the evening, when I started to get hungry again, at around six o'clock. The sun was starting to set, and I finally saw the three persons approach had been waiting for all day.

The tallest one was an old man with a white beard and moustache. The top of his head was completely bald though, and in his left hand he had a black hat. He was wearing an equally black suit and had a pair of sunglasses perched on his nose. He was walking a little hunched over and had a walking stick in his right hand. That man was without a doubt Master Roshi, the famous Turtle Hermit.

The shortest person was also bald, he was a bit too young for a beard or moustache, but he did have six dots placed on his forehead in an orderly fashion. He was wearing a yellow gi, one that made it obvious he had trained at the Orin temple at one time. That was Krillin, it was funny to see that even now he was still shorter than Goku.

Goku was the last person in the little group. He was wearing a blue gi with a white belt. He also had an orange pole strapped to his back. His most notable features were his large, innocent eyes and his incredibly messy and spiky hair, that somehow still looked natural. There was no doubt that that was my father. It suddenly felt as if a weight had been lifted of my heart. I really wanted to run over to him and hug him, but I had to control myself for the time being.

It was funny, seeing my father at such a young age. The way he looked in wonder at everything made it obvious he wasn't used to this form of civilization yet. I finished studying them as they finally reached the registration boot and got registered for the tournament. I was absolutely certain now that I had gone back in time. This made me wonder whether I would even want to go back after I became friends with my father. At that moment, Goku's eyes that had been looking around, taking everything in, fell on me. Even though we were the same age now, I was slightly taller than him, this made me smile inwardly. I met Goku's gaze and stared him in the eyes for a few moments. Then I grinned at him and walked away, my cape swirling behind me. I walked back into the forest and hunted for some meat, I also collected some fruit, that would make for a good breakfast the following morning.

After dinner there was only one thing left to do before I could go to sleep. I had already decided to participate in the tournament and also that I would get to know my dad better as a friend. But there was still one point which I was unsure about. I hadn't decided yet whether I would really change history or not. I had a few valid arguments for both sides, but neither seemed really decisive enough to make a decision. I knew it was dangerous to change past events, it could really be bad for the timeline. It could be both a good and a bad thing if I would kill Dr. Gero now. There wouldn't be any androids, yes, but everyone would lose the strength they gained by fighting the androids. And that might not necessarily be a good thing. If I would defeat villains in Goku's stead, he wouldn't be as strong. If he was weaker, then he and piccolo may be defeated by Raditz, and that would be disastrous. But I was brought here by Shenron, and he probably knows what he's doing. He wouldn't send me here if it would ruin the whole timeline. Perhaps I was meant to change the future. And I know that if I ever saw my dad in trouble in this timeline, I wouldn't be able to help helping him. No matter the consequences. I thought back to the wish I had heard Eighteen make.

"_I wish for Gohan Son to be able to spend some more time with his father."_

That meant that Shenron must have given me a chance to spend time with my father if I wanted. And I really do want to. While there is the chance I would chance the future for the worse, I could also change it for the better. Any weaker my father would get by me defeating enemies in his place I could make up for by training him myself.

In the end there was one turning point on which my decision rested. If I had to go back to the future soon, then I wouldn't change anything, or at least, nothing substantial. But If I could choose when I would go back to where I came from, then there was no problem with changing the future a little. From the wording of the wish it seemed the most likely to me that I could choose when I returned. Simply by wishing it. So it was decided, I would try to make the world a better place by interfering a little. I didn't know everything about my father's youth, but I knew enough to make do for the moment. It would also be for the best if I didn't tell anyone that I was from the future. But I knew that if my father ever asked, that I wouldn't lie to him. I owed it to at least be honest with him. I then laid down next to the dying fire and slowly drifted to sleep.

* * *

_Alright, again a chapter finished. It took me only one day, so that was pretty fast. I hope this chapter answered some of your questions. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review. Next chapter are the preliminaries, so that means that I'll have to write action scenes. I haven't done it before, so it might take a bit longer. But for now just enjoy this chapter and I'll try to have the next one up by tomorrow._


	4. Preliminaries

**Trip to the past**

**Chapter 4: Preliminaries**

I woke up feeling refreshed and, for once, I was not blinded by the morning light. I got up and ate the fruit I had gathered the night before. That breakfast was definitely better than the last, at least I felt somewhat full. I knew I'd need a full stomach to fight the preliminaries, nothing could cripple a saiyan as effectively as hunger. I got up, wiped the dust off my gi and put my cape back on. I had removed it the night before to use as a cushion. It was slightly later than it had been when I had woken up the day before, so I had to hurry if I didn't want to be late and get disqualified. I hurried my way into the city and as I approached the tournament area I could feel my dad's ki already inside the building in which the preliminaries were held. However, before I could enter I had one more hurdle to cross, the name check. In the entrance of the building stood a man who checked whether you had registered the day before, this was to ensure the hall wouldn't be full of family and friends of the contestants.

"Name?", the man in the doorway asked.  
"Goten, sir", I said.  
"Hmm, alright you're on the list. Go on inside kid."  
"Thanks."

Good, now that that was over I could finally see my dad again. I hadn't been able to stop thinking of him, even in my dreams, and now I was really eager to see him again. So I could prove to myself it wasn't a dream, that I really saw him. I quickly entered the building and turned my eyes in the direction where I could sense his ki. There he was, standing with Krillin in one of the corners of the building. They were both examining each other's new gi. Apparently Master Roshi had just given them their uniforms with the symbol of the turtle school on it. They looked really happy about it and started to throw a few punches to get used to moving in their new clothing. I had to say they didn't look that different from the Goku and Krillin I knew in the future. After I finished studying them I walked over to the nearest empty spot of wall and leaned against it, just like I had done yesterday. I did it to avoid people talking to me, but also because it was funny to see adults scared of a twelve year olds' glare. A couple of minutes later I saw Master Roshi, or rather, Jackie Chun enter. His eyes darted around the room, obviously in search of his students. His gaze rested on me for a moment, but then he continued his search. When he had finally found them he smiled slightly to himself and went to stand on the other side of the room. Then a few of the tournament employees came into the room and called for everyone's attention.

"May I have your attention please!", one of them shouted. It immediately started to quiet down. Another one stepped forward and started to talk.  
"First of all, I'd like to welcome you all to the twenty-first World Martial Arts Tournament. Secondly I would like to thank you all for participating in the tournament. It makes me happy to see so many martial artists gathered in one place. " He took a deep breath and then continued.

"This year we have a very high number of contestants, one hundred and thirty-eight to be exact. Unfortunately only eight of you will get to take part in the finals. To determine our eight finalists we will divide you into four blocks. The two best fighters of each block will then advance to the finals. In a minute everyone can come and get a number to determine which block you will be fighting in. You will then be called into one of the four rings for your qualification matches. Thank you for your attention."

What followed was a mass charge of fighters straight towards the poor man who was holding the box which contained all the numbers. I just stood back a little until most fighters had gotten their number. By the time it was my turn to draw a number there weren't many left in the box. I didn't bother searching for a paper and grabbed the first one that touched my hand. I got number fifty-six, which placed me in the second half of block two. Jackie Chun was next in line and he got number fifty-one, which placed him in the first half of block two. After that there were still a few minutes to kill before the preliminaries actually started, so I decided to walk around a bit, sizing up the competition. I wasn't worried about the competition, I seriously doubted anyone in the world would be any challenge to me, I was actually looking for familiar faces. I found one. Yamcha was standing somewhere, punching at invisible opponents., a look of intense concentration on his face. As I continued looking around I noticed a certain ki approach me from behind. My father's to be precise. I turned around and faced him. Looking quite shocked that I knew he was coming he stopped a few paces in front of me, after a few more seconds we were joined by Krillin who was looking were Goku had run of to. Goku was the first to speak.

"Hey, you're the guy I saw yesterday" , he said.  
"Yep, that's me. Is something wrong?" I tried to sound calm and collected but I wasn't sure I was doing a good job. I was very excited on the inside. Krillin then interrupted and said something to Goku in a low but still audible voice.

"Goku, can't you see the kid is dangerous! Even the adults are avoiding him." It sounded as if he was almost panicking.  
"Who? This guy? He's not dangerous", Goku said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.  
"Yeah relax, I won't fight you. Unless we meet in the tournament of course", I added. It was quiet for a few moments until Goku introduced Krillin and himself.

"I'm Goku and this is Krillin. What's your name?"  
"I'm Goten. But isn't that the Turtle school's symbol on your gi?" That question seemed to bring Krillin back to his normal self.  
"Heh, Yeah. We're the best students Master Roshi ever had", he said smugly.  
"Well, if even half the rumours about Master Roshi's training are true then I'm sure you'll be though opponents in the upcoming battles."  
"Well, I'm sure you're a great fighter too", Goku said.  
"Could numbers fifty-five and fifty-six please step into the ring", was suddenly called throughout the hall.  
"Thanks, but that's my number so I better go fight. Bye", I said.  
"Bye, good luck", Goku said in his usual cheerful voice.

By the time I got to the ring my opponent was already waiting for me. Surprisingly, it was a girl. She had a large bush of purple hair, wore a dark blue shirt and had a pair of baggy, green trousers on. She looked completely misplaced in the tournament. Sure, I had seen female martial artists before, but they usually wore some sort of fighting attire. The obvious exception was android Eighteen, but that was a unique case. Before the fight started the referee told us the rules.

"Alright, there aren't many rules but that doesn't mean they won't be strictly followed. The use of any weapon such as a knife or sword is forbidden. Also, it's forbidden to kill your opponent. Should you break any of these two rules you will be immediately disqualified." The referee looked at both of us meaningfully for a moment.

"You win the match if your opponent gets knocked down for at least ten seconds or if they touch ground outside of the ring. You're also the winner if the opponent forfeits, obviously. If that's all clear, then let the fight begin!"

I immediately got into a standard stance. I usually used a mix of my father's and piccolo's styles of fighting, but Master Roshi would surely recognize the Turtle Hermit style elements. And that wouldn't be a good thing. The girl however, to my surprise, didn't get into any particular stance. She just stood there looking at me. Was she confident? Or was there some other reason for her seemingly careless attitude. Without lowering my guard I slowly walked over to her and pushed her to test her defences. It wasn't a hard push, but she still staggered back a few steps. Then she surprised me again. Instead of the vicious retaliation I expected, she started to cry.

"Wh- why did you hurt me?", she sobbed before continuing her crying.

I was completely baffled. The only female fighters I knew were my mom and Eighteen, and both of them would have had my head by now. Why was she here if she didn't want to fight? I slightly lowered my guard and looked at her with raised eyebrows. Apparently this was what she had been waiting for. The moment she noticed I had lowered my guard, she attacked. At that moment my reflexes kicked in and I blocked both hits she sent at me with ease. The punch aimed at my head was deflected with my left wrist and the fist that went to my stomach was grabbed by my right hand. That last action also allowed me to throw her out of the ring.

"Ring out! Number fifty-six is the winner!"

I couldn't believe I had actually made the mistake of lowering my guard during a fight, that was such a stupid mistake. Even though I had won, I had really messed up the battle. That conclusion made me think of something else. In my time I was the strongest fighter, none of the others had as much raw power as I did. But I wasn't the best fighter. People like Vegeta and my father were far better fighters than I was. They had more diversity in their battle tactics, they were better at exploiting their opponents weaknesses and their tactical insight was far better. If I wanted to be the best martial artist then I not only needed to be the strongest, but I also had to be the smartest. While my father was not especially bright in everyday life, he was an absolutely genius when it came to fighting. But I knew the perfect way to train that. All I had to do was lower my power level even further, so I had to count on my skill to defeat my enemy. That way I had to think about my every move, I would become a better fighter in every possible way. And so I lowered my power level even further to nothing but a grain of sand in comparison to my real power. Then I just watched my father and Krillin fight while I waited for my next match.

* * *

_Alright, this took a little longer than expected, but after working for nine hours straight I really needed some rest._

_Finally we got some real interaction between Goku and Gohan, I hope you liked it. I also had my first action scene. It was very short, but if this was good then I can try for a longer one soon. I hope you liked this chapter. I'm working on the next one so it shouldn't be long before I post that one. Please review and look out for that update._


	5. Preparation

**Trip to the past**

**Chapter 5: Preparation**

The rest of the preliminaries went pretty well. I didn't have any trouble defeating my opponents, even with my decreased power. I felt proud of myself that I still was a great fighter, even without my superhuman strength. In between my fights I had managed to catch a few glimpses of Goku, Krillin, Jackie Chun and even Yamcha fighting. None of them had any trouble in defeating their opponents, but with the exception of Jackie Chun, they were all far less skilled than they were in the future. By the time the clock reached eleven, the preliminaries had finished. The eight finalists now got the chance to eat a free meal in the tournament dining hall, the tournament itself would continue at half past twelve. When I walked into the dining hall it was already pretty crowded, both with finalists and their friends and other fighters. Of course, if you weren't a finalist, you had to pay for lunch. I soon found a table for one person somewhere in the back. It was self-service, so after I got my lunch, I returned to my table and quickly ate it all. The people around me stared a bit at how much I was eating, but I didn't let it bother me. Why should I care what other people thought. I had seen Goku and his friends enter the building earlier, they were sitting a few tables away from me. I had to admit that I felt slightly lonely, seeing them have fun like that. It was just as I was pondering what I should take as dessert, ice cream or cake, that I saw Goku approach my table.

"Can I help you, Goku?", I asked.  
"I was just wondering if you would like to sit with my friends and I over there. You seemed kind of lonely sitting here."  
"Well, I guess. But are you sure they won't mind?"  
"Yeah, I'm sure. Come on, I'll introduce you."  
He then took my arm and pulled me along to their table.

"Guys!", Goku shouted, getting everyone's attention at the table, "This is Goten, he'll be joining us for the rest of lunch, if you don't mind."  
"No, that's just fine Goku", Bulma said. Then she turned to me.  
"I'm Bulma, it's nice to meet you. The small bald guy is Krillin and the tall guy with the long hair is Yamcha." I nodded at both of them.  
"It's nice to meet you, although I met Krillin earlier." Bulma then continued her introductions.  
"Those two are Puar and Oolong. Oolong's the fat pig. The old man is Master Roshi, and that girl is Launch, but I'd stay away from those two if I were you." Ignoring her warning I spoke to Master Roshi.

"Are you really Master Roshi? My dad said you're like, the greatest martial artist ever", I said in an excited tone. I may have went a little over the top, but every martial artist had heard of Master Roshi, so it wasn't too weird that I had heard of him.

"Well yes, people say I'm quite good", he said, apparently unprepared for the praise.  
"Hey Goten," Goku suddenly interrupted, "I saw you didn't have dessert yet, would you like some now?"  
"Yeah sure, I'd never turn down a good dessert." That was true, I was a saiyan, and saiyans, as a rule, did not turn down dessert. Goku then handed me almost a dozen bowls of ice cream.

"Goku, sorry to interrupt, but not everyone has your giant appetite. Perhaps you should eat a few bowls yourself", Yamcha said. No way, don't touch my food!  
"Don't worry Yamcha. I think I'll be fine", I said before somebody stole anything. Then I quickly emptied all the bowls. When I looked up after finishing the ice cream I saw everyone staring at me. I was getting tense until the silence was finally broken by Oolong.

"Wow Goku, this guy eats faster than you do!" Everyone laughed at that, and I felt at ease again. For the rest of lunch everyone just made some small talk. At one point Krillin did ask who taught me martial arts, but I just said I learned from my father and left it at that. Master Roshi was the first to leave the table, saying he had to go to the bathroom before the tournament started. I knew he just needed time to change into his Jackie Chun outfit. But I kept my mouth shut, it was better if the others didn't know. At least, not yet.

A few minutes later Yamcha, Krillin, Goku and I said our goodbyes to the others and left for the tournament building. Apparently, we were the last candidates to arrive. Out of the other contestants the only one I recognized was Jackie Chun. I had no idea who the others were, but they probably weren't very important if nobody had ever mentioned them in the future. Once we were all inside of the building, the tournament announcer came in. Dad had told me about this guy, apparently he was the announcer every time. Dad seemed to like the man, so that meant he couldn't be a bad person.

"Alright everyone, please gather around", he shouted, "I would like to congratulate you all on making it to the final. Not many people reach the finals, so you should be proud of yourself for already making it this far. But unfortunately, there can only be one winner."

"Now we'll determine the for battles that will be fought in the quarter finals. To do so we'll have each of you draw a number from this box. And just like in the preliminaries, that number will decide who you'll be fighting. The first person who gets to draw a number is, Giran!"

In response to the name a giant dragon like creature stepped forward. The front of his body was coloured a light green, and his back was navy blue. He looked very scary, but his looks were ruined for me because I could sense his pathetic power level. Although I wasn't that much stronger with my lowered power level. Giran stuck a hand inside the box and a moment later he was holding up a small paper with a black number 2 on it.

"Alright Giran, you're number two, which means you'll be fighting in the first match." Giran's only response was a grunt.  
"Next up is... Yamcha!", the announcer said with just as much enthusiasm as before.

Yamcha stepped forward with a bit of a cocky smirk, but to me it was obvious he was trying to look braver than he felt. After he withdrew his hand from the box he showed everyone the number 8.

"Alright Yamcha, it seems you'll be fighting in the last battle, against whoever draws number seven." Yamcha nodded for an answer.  
"Then we have Nam!" The announcer looked around for anyone who stepped forward.

After a few moments a tall, dark-skinned man stepped forward. He wore fairly traditional fighting clothes and had a white turban on his head. After drawing his number he looked at it for a few moments before showing everyone the paper.

"Number six", he said in a strange accent.  
"Next up is, um," the announcer struggled, "Gokae? Or perhaps Go-"  
"I think you mean Goku, right?", I interjected.  
"Um, yeah."  
"That's me!", Goku shouted. He then ran forward in excitement and quickly pulled out a piece of paper. He examined the paper for a few seconds, seemingly deep in thought. Then he showed it to the announcer.

"That's seven, right?", he sounded genuinely unsure as he said that.  
"Yes that's seven", the announcer said, eying Goku strangely. Yamcha paled, obviously unhappy about his matchup against Goku.  
"Yes, I knew it!", Goku shouted happily.  
"Yeah, that's great Goku", Krillin said lamely.  
"Could Jackie Chun please come forward next?", the tournament announcer asked.

Jackie Chun simply took a number without looking and handed it to the announcer. He then simply walked back to where he was standing before.  
"Jackie Chun is number three. Krillin next please."  
"Oh boy" Krillin mumbled. There were only three numbers left and from the way he was looking at him from the corner of his eyes, it was clear Krillin didn't want to fight Giran. He hesitantly drew a number from the box, but visibly relaxed when it showed a number 4. He probably wouldn't have been that happy had he known Jackie Chun was actually Master Roshi, I wasn't going to tell him of course.

"Now then the second to last candidate, Bacterian!" A giant, extremely smelly man stepped forward. Yamcha whispered to Goku and Krillin that the guy had supposedly never bathed in his entire life. By smelling him that wasn't too hard to belief, I pitied the man who had to fight him. When bacterian stuck his hand inside the box, the man holding it leaned as far back as possible. He pulled a piece of paper out and showed it, number 5. The man called Nam swallowed at that, but then got a determined look on his face.

"That puts our final competitor, Goten, in the first match against Giran. The match will begin in about ten minutes, so make sure you're ready by then." The announcer then left the building and walked toward the ring, where he had to welcome the crowd.

I was actually getting excited for the fight, I didn't doubt I would win, but I knew I'd have to pay attention during the fight. I knew Giran was a member of a species called Giras. Good thing mom made e study a lot. There was just one thing I had to be careful about, that was the Giras' secret weapon. They could produce a very powerful sort of gum that was said impossible to break. If he used it against me I might have to raise my power level slightly to break it, but I except for that everything should go smoothly. I was then approached by Goku, krillin and Yamcha. From the corner of my eye I could see Jackie Chun looking our way.

"You're so lucky, you get to fight in the first match", Goku said.  
"Yeah, I'm really excited. Giran looks pretty strong, doesn't he?"  
"Pretty strong? The guy looks frightening!", Krillin yelled.  
"Relax, I'll be fine. Anyway, what do you think of your opponents?"  
"Well, I get to fight Yamcha again, so that'll be fun for sure", Goku said.  
"Yeah, fun", Yamcha said with a nervous laugh. It was funny to see he looked scared at the prospect of fighting my dad.  
"Well, I got to fight this old guy, Jackie Chun. I'm sure I'll make it to the semi-finals", Krillin said, he didn't look worried at all about his opponent.  
"I don't know Krillin, he may be old, but he's sure to have a lot of fighting experience. You better keep your guard up", I told him.  
"I guess you're right, I'll just see how good he is. And then I'll crush him!"

Just as I was about to say something the voice of the announcer sounded through the speakers.

"Now for our first match we have Goten versus Giran."  
"Looks like I'm up, see you guys later", I said before running off.  
I could hear a few shouts of good luck in the background as I approached the ring. This was it, the real tournament had begun.

* * *

_I couldn't stop writing last night and this is the result. This was supposed to be about seven hundred words so I could include the first battle in this chapter. But I guess it wasn't supposed to be. Anyway, there's a lot of conversation this time, which I find a pain to write. I hope everyone is still in character._

_As for the question on the name Goten. What do you think when you meet someone with an unusual name that has one syllable in common with your name? Then compare the answer to what you think when you meet someone who has the same, very rare name as your deceased grandfather. Now which is suspicious and which isn't? As to why I didn't use junior, that would be the easy way out and I don't do the easy way out._

_Also a very big thanks to everyone that left a review, put me on favourite or on alert or just and also everyone who took their time to read my story. Thanks a lot everyone. Please also leave a review for this chapter, it doesn't take long and it really makes my day._


	6. Goten versus Giran

**Trip to the past**

**Chapter 6: Goten versus Giran**

As I slowly walked into the ring the first thing I noticed was the crowd of a few hundred people surrounding the ring. For some reason I hadn't thought about the crowd, even though I knew it would be there. But as I looked over the numerous people, I started feeling slightly nervous. I hadn't fought in front of a crowd before, so it wasn't strange to be feeling a little nervous. But still, I felt silly in a way. I had fought dangerous aliens and deadly androids, but yet I was still afraid of fighting in front of a crowd. The thought made me want to laugh.

There were two people in the ring, not counting me. The announcer was there, obviously waiting for the fighters to take their positions. Giran was there too, already waiting for me. He stood on the right side of the ring, a cocky smirk on his face. He obviously wasn't concerned about the fight, and was probably looking forward to beating me up. That was just too bad for him, I'll just have to disappoint him.

Since the right side was already occupied, I walked to the left. I quickly memorised how far the ring reached, so I wouldn't have to worry about that during the fight. Then I turned around and faced my opponent. Even though he looked a bit intimidating, I had fought far scarier opponents already, I wasn't very impressed at his glare. I just sent one back of my own. I knew he wouldn't be a though opponent. From the way he stood it was obvious he won his battles mostly on muscle strength, not on skill or strategy.

"Are you ready!", the announcer shouted over the crowd, "Then let the first match of the twenty-first World Martial Arts Tournament begin!"

I quickly took my regular stance and observed my opponents, looking for weak points and openings. He didn't even shifted into a pose, he just spread his legs a bit. It was obvious he didn't consider me a threat, good, I could use that to my advantage. The combination of him underestimating me and his ridiculous pride that made him easy to anger almost ensured my victory. Not that he would have won anyway. Because I would probably win anyway, I made a deal with myself. I promised myself that I wouldn't let him land a single hit on me. Just to challenge my own fighting skills, it would be some good training.

"I think I'm going to enjoy beating you. You should give up while you still can kid, you won't got mercy from me", Giran said, laughing

"Thanks, but no thanks. I think I'll take my chances", I said. No way I would forfeit, especially not because of that overgrown lizard.

"Fine, it's your funeral", he said, still laughing. He then charged at me. I almost started to laugh myself when I saw it. There was absolutely nothing technical about it. He was just running towards me with his right fist raised, ready to strike once he got in range.

I waited until the last moment, just as his fist was about to strike my head, I simply leaned backwards. Then once his fist had passed I launched myself towards his face. I quickly kicked right on the nose, using his face to push myself further and causing me to land just behind him. While he brought his hands to his face in pain I quickly grabbed his tail and used it to swing him into a nearby wall. Then I just resumed my passive stance and waited for him to get back up.

"Did you see that people! With an amazing attack in two parts Goten has not only avoided the charging Giran, but has also managed to throw him in a wall. Giran is down but now the question is how long he'll stay down. Because I'm sure he'll be angry after that", the announcer shouted in his microphone while trying to see into the dust cloud created by Giran's crash.

It only took a few seconds for Giran to get back up, not enough time for the announcer to start counting. Now he looked really angry. That would cause him to make even more mistakes, not that there weren't enough of those before.

"How dare you, you little human! I'll crush you for that!", Giran shouted, his face going red from anger.

He then charged forward once more. But this time, instead of punching just once, he used a combination. A punch to the head, one to the stomach and finally a kick aimed at my chest. The attacks were easy enough to evade. While he may pack quite a punch, he was far to slow to even have a chance of hitting me.

I ducked under his first fist and then quickly jumped in the air to avoid the second punch. Because he didn't expect me to jump, the aim of his kick was slightly off. This made it very easy for me to simply jump onto his outstretched leg while he looked in surprise at his attacks being evaded with such ease. While standing on his leg I had clear shot at his chest. So I gathered all my power and gave him one punch, straight in the middle of his chest.

The attack knocked the air out of him and gave me the opportunity to run around him while he was catching his breath. Once I was behind him I gave him one hard kick against his backside, knocking him out of the ring.

"Wow people, look at that! With an amazing display of power and skill our youngest contestant shows he shouldn't be underestimated. Despite his age and height Goten appears to be a fierce and accomplished martial artist! Is Giran outclassed by a mere boy? Or has he still got a trick up his sleeve?"

While the announcer had been commentating about my recent success, Giran had been able to fly back towards the ring. Good thing he had wings, it would have been disappointing to have the fight end this soon. Meanwhile Giran was glaring at me, he looked absolutely furious. I just offered him a small smile. The look on his face was hilarious, it was as if his eyes would pop out. Then suddenly, he started laughing.

"You may be a strong fighter kid. But I'd like to see you escape this one!"

Giran then started to make strange noises in his throat, almost as if he was about to spit at me. It didn't take me long to realise he was preparing to use the sticky gum his species could produce. Giran then spit the substance at me, but I was ready and quickly jumped to the side, evading it. Giran growled and continued firing at me. I didn't have trouble evading his every attack, but I was unable to go on the offense myself due to his unrelenting attack. After a few minutes I slipped up, and he got a hit. The gum quickly covered most of my body except for my head. I had actually planned to evade the attack, but I had minutely forgotten that I couldn't move as fast as I used to be able to. And so I had gotten hit. After he hit me he started laughing again. But this laugh was different, it was a laugh of victory.

"It seems as if the tides have turned in Giras' favour. He has been able to capture Goten in a sticky substance produced inside his body. Will Goten find a way out of this problematic situation? Or is this the early end of the young fighter's title as World Martial Arts Tournament finalist?", The announcer shouted, he was obviously incredibly excited, his eyes glued to my struggle against the gum.

"Give up kid. Nobody can escape my Merry-Go-Round Gum. It's indestructible. I'll just throw you out of the ring now", Girran said, stepping forward with a cocky smirk plastered on his face.

But I wouldn't give up that easily.

"No you won't! I won't lose!", I shouted.

Then I tensed my muscles and started to try and break my prison. It wasn't easy with a power level this low, but I knew I could do it. After a few seconds I could feel the Merry-Go-Round Gum starting to break. With a final effort I was able to break the sticky pink gum and then I turned to Giran. I smirked at him.

"Are you ready for round two?", I asked, slightly mocking him.

"No, that's impossible! Not even I can break the Merry-Go-Round Gum! It's indestructible!", Giran shouted I fear, his earlier confidence gone, he was now slightly panicking.

"Well, I guess I just proved you wrong."

Then I suddenly charged forward, straight at him. I focused on him, my fists raised, ready to take him out. But before I could reach him he suddenly shouted something.

"No wait, stop! I forfeit, you win!"

He then quickly ran out of the ring. I then looked on in astonishment to where he was before he ran off. I had really been hoping for a good fight. If every match would be this way then there wouldn't be a lot of excitement during the tournament.

"In an unexpected turn of events, Giran has forfeited the match! This makes Goten our newest semi-finalist! Congratulations Goten!"

I just waved at the cheering people for a second before also leaving the ring. I had barely stepped a foot outside of the ring when Goku was right in front of me.

"Wow, you did really good out there! You're very strong. I'm not sure I could beat you in a fight", he said in excitement. He was talking so fast I could barely hear what he was saying.

"Thanks Goku", was my answer, "I'm sure you'll do fine as well in your match."

Then Krillin and Yamcha arrived too. Both also congratulating me on my win. I just shrugged it of as nothing, which it was to me, of course. While we were talking I could see Jackie Chun watching me from the corner of my eyes. He had no doubt seen that I was an experienced fighter, he knew enough to distinguish skill from luck. And what I possessed was obviously skill. It wouldn't surprise me if he asked me who my father was. I'm sure he wanted to know who had taught me. But that would have to wait, because the second match between Krillin and Jackie Chun was being announced. I was really curious to that fight, I knew Jackie Chun would win, but it would give me a chance to see how strong he was.

* * *

_This chapter took slightly longer than expected, but that's mostly because I found the action scene quite hard. But I hope I did a good job. Please review this chapter, it would make me happy._


	7. Jackie Chun versus Krillin

**Trip to the past**

**Chapter 7: Jackie Chun versus Krillin**

I watched as Krillin walked towards the ring, closely followed by Jackie Chun. The both of them looked fairly confident. I Krillin's case it was easy to see because he walked with raised shoulders, and the look on his face told him he knew he would win. Jackie's confidence was of a whole different kind. There weren't really any outward displays of emotion, but there was something about the way he walked, something that just screamed _'experienced fighter, beware'_.

There was no doubt Master Roshi would win. After all, it had been Jackie Chun that won the twenty-first World Martial Arts Tournament. I was of course going to change that in this timeline, there was no way I would be defeated by him.

"Krillin, wait up!", I shouted. I had suddenly got an idea, something to make the match slightly more interesting. Krillin turned around and faced me.

"What is it Goten?", he asked, visibly impatient to start the fight.

"I just had a thought. Jackie Chun is old, so he probably has less stamina. If you fight defensive in the beginning of the fight you might gain an advantage later on", I explained.

Krillin looked confused for a second, but then his face shifted to a thankful grin.

"Thanks Goten, I didn't think of that at all. I'll be sure to keep it in mind", he said, before continuing on his way towards the ring.

"Good luck!", me and Goku shouted towards his back at the same time, he'd need it.

We then moved towards the entrance of the ring ourselves, that way we would have a good view of the fight. Even though I knew Krillin would lose, I still cheered for him. He deserved to win, unfortunately that alone didn't guarantee a win.

"Alright people! In this match we have experienced martial artist Jackie Chun against the young Krillin. A true battle of generations! An interesting piece of knowledge is that Krillin is a student of the famous Turtle Hermit, Master Roshi. I'm sure these two exceptional fighters will put up an amazing show!"

Jackie Chun actually smiled when the announcer mentioned the Turtle Hermit. How nobody ever figured out he was actually Master Roshi I would never understand. Wasn't it completely obvious the old man was actually the Turtle Hermit? Perhaps it just seemed logical to me because I already knew.

"Let the second match of the twenty-first World Martial Arts Tournament begin!"

Krillin immediately got his guard up. Jackie Chun however just stood there, as if observing the weather. Of course, this was Krillin. Meaning that he got mad at his opponent's dismissal of his skills. Krillin immediately got ready to charge at Jackie Chun head on. I realised that Krillin was at a severe disadvantage. Master Roshi knew how Krillin fought. He knew his style and his weaknesses. It would be no problem at all for him to beat his own student, even without any superior strength and speed he would still win. Krillin didn't have the same advantage at all, he knew nothing at all about Jackie Chun. And even if he would recognise him as Master Roshi it still wouldn't help. Master Roshi knew enough styles to switch quickly and surprise his opponent. There was only one thing I could do to even out the battle field. It wasn't exactly cheating, but it wasn't very fair either.

"Krillin don't! He's just baiting you! Stay on the defensive for now!", I shouted to him.

Krillin glanced over to me for a second, but then made a decision. He nodded and then continued observing his opponent. Jackie Chun also threw a glance my way, he seemed a little angry that I had seen through his scheme. And even more so because I had told Krillin. He couldn't do anything about it though, talking with the fighters wasn't against the rules.

By helping Krillin I made sure that Jackie Chun at least had some sort of challenge. It wasn't hard for me to predict his movements. Even though I had never actually fought him, I had spent enough time around the Turtle Hermit to be able to read him, to the displeasure of my mother. It would be fun to antagonize Master Roshi, especially because he wasn't allowed to attack me. When I noticed a subtle narrowing of Jackie's eyes I knew it.

"Krillin he's going to attack!", I shouted. I hadn't even finished and Master Roshi was already running.

However just as fast as he had started he stopped again. Having heard my shout he looked at me in anger and surprise.

"How did you predict my movements?", he asked a little frustrated. This was the second time I had read him correctly.

"You're just predictable", I said, smirking.

Just when it looked as if he was going to say something more, Jackie Chun got a foot in his face. Krillin had used his opponent's distraction as the opportunity to get in a stunning blow. One good hit could win or lose a match after all. Next to me I could Yamcha and Goku cheering.

"Thanks for the help Goten, but I'll take it on my own from here", Krillin said.

I understood what he meant. If I would continue giving him help then the victory wouldn't be really his. So I would back down for now. Jackie Chun didn't take long to recover from the kick in his face, he didn't even have a scratch on his face. Once he got up again he immediately retaliated with his own kick. Krillin blocked it be bringing up his arms and then quickly jumped back, out of range. I noted with approval that he stayed on the defensive for now.

Jackie Chun then started a furious barrage of kicks and punches, all of which were dodged or blocked expertly by Krillin. Although it was obvious he was hard-pressed to keep up with the frequency of the attacks, but he managed for now.

After a few minutes Jackie Chun took a step back and looked at Krillin. Krillin was obviously a little tired from trying to defend from the vicious onslaught. The difference in Jackie's breathing was less obvious, but it was there. Master Roshi just had gotten better at hiding these kinds of displays of weakness.

"Wow people, would you look at that! Jackie Chun attacked Krillin in a series of punches so fast they are unseen by the untrained eye, but yet the young boy has managed to avoid any injury! It's obvious the Turtle Hermit's is paying of." It was obvious the announcer himself couldn't even follow the movements.

Then it was Krillin's turn to go on the offensive. But unfortunately Jackie Chun was able to evade every attack with little to no trouble. All it took were small movements of his head or body and Krillin's attacks would just sail past him. It was only at this point that it became obvious just how outclassed Krillin was in this fight.

Krillin then jumped into the air and aimed a kick straight at Jackie Chun's face. Jackie Chun seemed to stay still, but I could see and sense him leave the afterimage. I inwardly winced at what was coming. Krillin sailed through the afterimage and crashed into the ring. Before he could find Jackie Chun again he got a kick against his head himself. He got knocked back a few feet and ended up on the ground, just on the edge of the ring.

He had a little trouble getting up, but after a few tries he finally managed. Throughout this all Jackie Chun had just been patiently observing him, giving him the chance to recover. He didn't press his advantage, but of course he didn't need to either.

"You're good boy, very good. Especially for being so young. But if you want to beat me you'll need to be far better", he said in a complementing tone at first, but towards the end it got slightly mocking.

"You just watch, I'm still going to beat you!", Krillin shouted, although he didn't sound sure of himself at all.

"Good never give up, that's the perfect fighting spirit", Jackie Chun said, then he charged again.

The look on Jackie's face during his third charge was clearly different than before. Now he wasn't just checking his opponent's abilities, now he was fighting to win. The following minutes were filled with a one-sided beating at Krillin's expense. He barely managed to block half the punches and he didn't have enough time to go on the offensive himself. I could hear Goku and Yamcha wince every time Krillin got hit.

Jackie Chun then finished the fight in three crushing blows. First a hard punch straight in Krillin's stomach, making him keel over in pain. This gave Jackie the chance to strike with his elbow straight to Krillin's neck, completely knocking him down to the ground. All that was left to do was kick him hard in the side, knocking him out of the ring.

"With three powerful blows Jackie Chun has managed to overwhelm his opponent and knock him out of the ring! The winner of the second quarterfinal match is Jackie Chun. That leaves him to battle Goten in the semi-finals. Let's hear it for both Jackie Chun and Krillin, they both fought their best!"

As soon as Jackie Chun was declared the winner I ran into the ring, Goku right behind me. I jumped in the grass beside it and helped Krillin up.

"You did great Krillin, you really put up a good fight", I said.

"Yeah, I don't think I would have done much better", Goku said.

"We both know you're stronger Goku, I'm sure you would have won", Krillin said smiling.

Goku just smiled back in response.

* * *

_This chapter took a little longer, again two days. And it's also quite short, this is mostly because two fights would be too long for one chapter. But don't worry, the chapters should get longer again soon. Anyway, I bought myself the first few volumes of the dragon ball manga, so now I'll have another reference to what happens in the series._

_Somebody asked about Gohan's power level. Well, in its lowered state it's about 100._

_I also had another idea for a story, and I wondered if anyone would be interested in reading it._

_There is something in his body that makes it so that Gohan can't accept losing. Something that urges him to always be the best at something. This causes an alternate universe in Dragonball Z. Gohan will be a little stronger, but he will mainly act different._

_So please let me know whether you like the idea, and of course also give your opinion about this story. Thanks for your support everyone!_


	8. Bacterian versus Nam

**Trip to the past**

**Chapter 8: Bacterian versus Nam**

Goku and I were helping Krillin back out of the ring. Yamcha was waiting for us and he immediately congratulated Krillin on a good match.

"What do you mean I did good? I lost!", Krillin yelled.

"Well, he was really good, and you did your best", Yamcha explained.

"Yeah don't worry Krillin. The guy was just very good, it's not your fault you lost", I assured him.

"I'm hungry," Goku said suddenly, "can we eat something?"

Typically Goku.

"I'm kinda hungry too after my match", Krillin admitted.

"Alright, let's find some food!", Goku shouted excitedly before running off towards the tournament dining hall. Krillin followed not long after, he seemed to have recovered from his fight already. Yamcha and I just stood there laughing.

After a while I noticed Yamcha was looking for something. He was constantly looking around. Just as I was about to ask what he was looking for he suddenly took off in Jackie Chun's direction. I decided it would be better if I followed.

"You! You're Master Roshi, aren't you?", Yamcha said accusingly.

How had Yamcha guessed? I mean, to me it was pretty obvious, but I already knew. Nobody was supposed to find out until the twenty-second World Martial Arts Tournament. Jackie Chun probably found a way to prove he wasn't Master Roshi.

"Of course not, that's preposterous", Jackie Chun replied in a surprised voice.

Well, I guess that's one way of denying it. Although I had to admit it certainly was effective. Yamcha didn't ask again, it was obvious he was still suspicious of Jackie though. Perhaps it was a good idea to act like this when I was accused of something. Just act surprised and claim innocence. It seemed to work just fine for the old man. Then Jackie turned to me.

"You're Goten, right?", he asked.

"Yep, and you're Jackie Chun. I have to say I was impressed by your fight with Krillin. I'll have to do my best to beat you in the next match", I said grinning.

"Well, I did train for a long time for this tournament. And I have to say you were pretty impressive yourself in the first match", Jackie Chun said, his piercing gaze resting on me.

"Have you fought here before?", I asked.

"Well sure, but that was a long time ago." And with a different identity.

"Anyway," Jackie Chun suddenly said, "how did you know my moves before I even made them in my fight with Krillin? I used to take pride in my unpredictable battle style, but if a kid can predict my movements then I may not be as good as I thought I was."

"Well, my father thought me a lot about reading my opponent. He also knew a lot of different fighting styles, which he taught to me in turn. Because of this I recognize what my opponents fight like, which makes it easy to predict movements", I quickly made up, although it was partly true.

"Hmm, your father sounds like a good martial artist. Why isn't he fighting here?", Jackie Chun asked, looking around curiously.

"Well, he died a year ago as a matter of fact", I said, at least this was true. Yamcha winced.

"I'm sorry kid", he said.

"Yes, I didn't know, please excuse me", Jackie Chun added.

"It's alright, I've gotten over it. Mostly."

"Anyway, you said you knew a lot of fighting styles, could you perhaps name a few?", Jackie said, quickly changing the subject back to martial arts. Oh no, I quickly had to think of something.

"Well, he didn't actually have a master for any of the styles, but he studied a lot of them from afar. He studied the Turtle style, the Crane style, the Demon sty-", I stopped, perhaps I shouldn't have let that last one slip.

"The Demon style! That's impossible! How?", Jackie Chun quickly demanded.

"What's the Demon style?", Yamcha asked.

"It's the style used by king Piccolo and his minions. Anyway, um, one of my, uh, ancestors, survived one of king Piccolo's attacks. He later wrote down what he remembered, since he was a martial artist. My dad and I managed to recreate some of the moves", I stuttered. Wow, I actually made a pretty good excuse. Good, crisis averted.

"Really? How interesting. I would've loved to fight your father, I'm sure it would have been a good challenge", Jackie said, although he sounded a bit suspicious in the first part.

"Well, you'll get to fight me and I'm stronger than my dad."

"You're stronger than your own father!", Yamcha shouted in shock.

"Well, yes. I surpassed him shortly before he died", I said, once again telling the truth.

"Now, it's time for the third quarterfinal match. Nam will attempt to defeat the infamous Bacterian!" I jumped when I heard the announcer's voice.

"Looks like it's time for the next match, let's go watch. There's a good chance that I'll have to fight the winner of this match", Yamcha said.

"If you can defeat Goku", I said, a small, knowing smile on my face.

"Oh, right", Yamcha said, he suddenly looked a lot less optimistic. He was really scared of fighting my father by the looks of it. When I saw future Yamcha again I would definitely be laughing at him for this. Yamcha and I then started walking towards the ring, Jackie Chun a few steps behind us.

When we got there it seemed the fight had already started. I could see Nam running around the ring, pinching his nose, trying to get away from his foe, Bacterian. I would be running too if my opponent smelled that bad. It was such a dirty trick to use in your fighting. Seriously? Using your smell to scare of your opponents? That was just pathetic in my opinion. Why couldn't he beat his opponent fair and square? Even Vegeta wouldn't use a trick like that.

Bacterian had an evil smile on his face while he chased his opponent. It was obvious that he knew his opponent couldn't run forever. Nam seemed to realise this as well. The man was starting to panic slightly while trying to figure out a plan to beat his adversary. This however proved to be a mistake. His momentary lapse in attention while he was thinking up a plan was all Bacterian needed to grab hold of Nam.

Bacterian then continued to squeeze Nam hard in his hands. The smaller man was obviously having trouble staying conscious. Bacterian brought Nam closer to his face and then let out a long stinking breath straight in his face. I was standing twenty feet from him and even I had trouble keeping the contents of my stomach inside. After Nam became limp in his hands Bacterian threw him to the floor, causing several cracks to appear in the tournament tiles. Bacterian then sat on him. I started feeling really sick when I realised what he was about to do. The next thing that was heard was the sound of gas escaping, straight into Nam's face. Poor guy, he probably wouldn't be able to eat for a weak.

"I'm glad I'm not that guy. I don't think I could survive that stench", Yamcha said, shivering slightly.

"Yeah, I hope he gets up though", I said, I really wanted the big guy to get beaten.

The announcer then started to count.

"One… Two… Three…", The announcer called out at regular intervals.

At the count of five Nam started to slowly get up, he looked a bit nauseas.

"It seems as if Nam's back in the fight. Will the tides turn, or is Nam just as outclassed as before?", The announcer shouted, clearly excited that the fight would continue.

"So you want more? Don't worry, that can be arranged", Bacterian taunted as he got ready to charge at Nm once more.

"No, I must win!", Nam shouted.

There was something about the way he said it, something about the way his eyes shone with determination that I recognized from somewhere. That's when I realised it, that was the same look I saw in dad's or Krillin's eyes when they were fighting to protect Earth. It was the look of someone who fought to protect those he loved. I wondered what his story was.

Back in the ring Nam seemed to reflexively bring his hand to his nose to block out the stench. But then he suddenly stopped.

"I just have to ignore the stench. Then it won't be a problem to beat this guy", he said, mostly to himself. I could still hear him though.

"Ignore my stench? You're crazy! It's impossible to ignore my stench!", Bacterian boasted.

Nam however, just ignored him. He jumped into the air, over one hundred feet high. When he reached his highest point he leaned downwards with a determined look on his face. Face-first he fell towards the ground. Once he started to speed up he crossed his forearms in front of his face. The speed with which he approached his smelly opponent was incredible.

Apparently Bacterian hadn't even noticed where Nam had gone. He was looking around the ring for him. Just as he turned his head upwards to look for him, Nam made contact. The blow against Bacterian's exposed neck was crushing. Bacterian made a few gurgling sounds before collapsing on the arena floor.

"Bacterian is down! Let's see if it lasts for long enough. One… Two… Three…"

Meanwhile Nam had landed safely on his own to feet. He brought his hands together and bowed at his unconscious opponent.

"You were a worthy adversary", he said.

Then he walked out of the ring, back into the waiting area. I couldn't help but once again notice the seriousness on his face. From the corners of my eyes I could see Jackie Chun watching him too. Jackie looked as if he were concentrating hard.

"And.. Ten! Bacterian is down for over ten seconds! Nam is the winner, he advances to the semi-finals! Wait, huh, where'd he go?"

I had gotten hungry in the meantime so I turned around, planning to go towards the tournament dining hall. As soon as I turned my body and started to run forward I ran into someone, my young father to be more precise. We both crashed to the ground, me lying on top of him. Goku grinned, his face inches from mine.

"That was an awesome match, don't you think so?", he said excitedly.

"Yeah sure. It was pretty fun to watch", I said while getting up. Only my father would try to have a conversation while lying on the ground.

"I have to fight next right? Boy this sure is exciting", Goku said in one breath, rushing his words.

"Yeah, I can see you're excited. Are you ready too Yamcha?", I replied.

"Um, sure, I'm ready to fight Go- Goku", Yamcha said swallowing. He looked a little white.

"Are you sure you're alright Yamcha? You look a little white in the face", Goku said in his usual naive voice.

Krillin Jackie Chun and I started to laugh at that. Yamcha let out a nervous laugh of his own while Goku just stood there wondering what was so funny.

* * *

_Alright, another one done. I could've finished this yesterday to be honest, but I was just too tired so I decided to wait another day. Anyway, I hope you liked it. This one was boring to write but the fun should start soon enough. Thanks for everyone who reviewed and told me their opinion on my story idea. I thought over it myself for a while and came to a decision. I'll be writing a different story, although the idea is inspired by my previous idea._

_The story is about Goku. More specifically, Goku as a kid. But there will be a small difference in the story compared to the original. In the story Goku won't lose his memories when hitting his head. He'll still become the sweet, naive boy we all know and love, but he'll remember who he is._

_You can expect that story sometime during the coming week, it depends on how long I spend writing this story._

_There was something else I wanted to put here, but I can't seem to remember it, so I guess it'll have to wait. Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed, I'll try to keep the updates as frequent as possible. But remember, quality over quantity._


	9. Goku versus Yamcha

**Trip to the past**

**Chapter 9: Goku versus Yamcha**

"Can Goku and Yamcha please report to the ring!" Echoed throughout the area.

"Alright Yamcha, let's go!" Goku said loudly, clearly eager to fight.

He had been impatient during the past three fights and was very excited that he was finally able to fight himself. The same couldn't be said about Yamcha. He too had been looking forward to fighting but it was obvious he didn't really want to fight Goku. While Goku ran towards the ring in obvious impatience for a good fight, Yamcha followed at a slower pace.

"Good luck!" I shouted at the both of them, although it was mostly directed at my father.

We then walked towards the ring entrance so we could watch the fight with front-row seats. I was really curious as to how the fight would play out. I knew dad would win, but that didn't mean I wasn't slightly anxious. I wondered how strong my father really was at this point in time. Yamcha and Goku each picked a side of the ring and prepared for the fight. My father as usual by stretching a little.

"Let the fourth quarterfinal of the twenty-first World Martial Arts Tournament begin!" The announcer shouted. His constant repeat of the same sentences was starting to annoy me.

Yamcha and Goku both immediately got into a fighting stance, ready for any attack the opponent may attempt. This was so exciting, I finally got to see my father fighting again! I was completely focused on the fight, determined to not miss a single moment of it. Unfortunately my concentration was broken not long after, by a small lightning bolt flashing across my visage.

I quickly looked around to check whether anybody else had noticed. How stupid to just lose control of my powers like that. I needed better control. All it took was a little bit of excitement and my power level had already started to rise again. This time I had been lucky that nobody had noticed the lightning that automatically flashed when I powered up in super saiyan 2 form. I really had to learn to be more careful, but that was what this training was for, to gain better control over my powers. I hadn't really trained a lot in the year after the Cell games. I had only made sure I could transform into a super saiyan 2 at will, but other than that I had been completely focused on my studies.

I was lucky this time because everyone was watching the fight, but I knew I wouldn't be so lucky the next time. Lightning wasn't something that I could easily explain either. I quickly suppressed my power level again as far as I could. After a few minutes of intense concentration I was sure I had complete control once again. After one last deep breath I returned my attention to the fight. It had already begun of course.

It seemed that yamcha had taken an early offensive, trying to force Goku out of the ring before he launched a counterattack. At the moment they were both exchanging a barrage of punches and kicks. Yamcha tried to unbalance Goku by alternating punches and kicks aimed at his upper body with those aimed for his lower body. Goku seemed more than capable of blocking them all though, he even managed to throw a few punches himself.

Yamcha quickly tried to punch Goku in the face, but he easily evaded it by crouching. This seemed to be the exact thing Yamcha was hoping for though as his foot was already halfway to Goku's chin. It was a good thing Goku was faster and was able to block the hit otherwise he would have had a hard time recovering from that blow. It continued like that for a while, neither side landing any significant hits, but still a good test of stamina. It seemed as if they were evenly matched but I could see that Goku was holding back. He wasn't out of breath at all, the complete opposite of Yamcha who was breathing heavier by the minute. Then they suddenly broke off and they each jumped back a couple of feet. Observing the damage they had managed to inflict on their adversary, which wasn't much.

"Very good Goku, but I'm afraid I'll have to end it now," Yamcha said.

He clearly hadn't noticed that Goku wasn't out of breath at all and could easily keep up with his attacks.

"Wolf Fang Fist!" Yamcha shouted, preparing to do his signature attack.

Goku then got a little smile on his face. The same smile my dad would smile right before he beats me into the ground during a training session. Oh yes, this would be painful. I watched as Goku cupped his hands and brought them to his side. Of course, the Kamehameha wave, dad's signature move, even back when he was twelve. It should be more than enough to take care of Yamcha.

"KA ME HA!" Goku started to chant.

Meanwhile Yamcha started to run towards Goku to unleash his Wolf Fang Fist, but I could already see he would be too late.

"ME!" Goku said, continuing, undisturbed by the approaching Yamcha.

Yamcha was very close now, only a few feet remained.

"HA!" Goku shouted, thrusting his hands forward and unleashing the full force of his Kamehameha wave from up close.

Yamcha screamed as the energy wave hit him from up close. He wasn't even able to put up his guard because he had been unprepared for the attack. Due to the angle at which it hit him Yamcha was catapulted high into the air. The Kamehameha wave wasn't as strong as I had expected it to be, so it was possible Yamcha wasn't out of the fight yet. Provided he didn't land outside of the ring of course. This made me wonder. Was Goku holding back or was he simply not as strong as I thought he was?

"Wow, it looks as if our youngest competitor somehow knows the Kamehameha wave. It's a move invented by the great Turtle Hermit, Master Roshi. The only known users of the wave are Master Roshi himself and his first student, Gohan Son. But apparently this young boy also knows it! Let's just see if Yamcha can jump back from this blow!"

By the time the announcer had finished his little speech Yamcha was approaching the ring again. It seemed he was in luck. Even though the Kamehameha wave had blasted him away from the ring the wind had somehow ended up blowing him straight back. He landed straight in the middle of the ring, where he stopped moving.

"It looks like Yamcha is down! Time to start counting! One.. Two.. Three…" The announcer started to count while the crowd watched in complete silence.

Then I felt Yamcha's energy spike. He would get back up. Maybe this match would be more interesting than I had originally thought. On the count of Eight he started to move, and just before the announcer reached ten Yamcha was back on his feet.

"Against all odds Yamcha is standing once again! Will he gain the advantage now, or will we just get to see a rerun of the last five minutes?"

Once again Goku and Yamcha stood on both sides of the ring, studying each other, ready to jump into action at the smallest movement of the opponent. After about thirty seconds of nothing happening there was suddenly a loud ripping noise heard.

I looked in shock at Goku, his tail had grown back. I heard Bulma scream in the crowd, and I could see Yamcha gasp.

"He has.. a tail?" Krillin said next to me, sounding unsure.

I glanced at him for a second but then returned my attention to the fight. Yamcha looked fearful for a second before he got a wicked look in his eyes. It didn't take me long to figure out what that meant, he was going to grab Goku's tail. That would severely weaken dad, and could possibly cause him to lose the match.

Yamcha charged towards Goku, his right foot first as if to kick him. Goku, who didn't realise what he was trying to do, just jumped up into the air to evade the attack. However this gave Yamcha the perfect opportunity to grab his tail, since it just hung under his body. He didn't hesitate and quickly grabbed it, causing Goku to become limp.

"I'm sorry Goku, but if this is the only way I can win then I'll take it," Yamcha said, a slight hint of remorse in his voice.

Goku's only response was a pained groan.

"Oh no! It seemed as if Yamcha has discovered a weakness in his opponent! Is this the end for Goku? Or will he find a way out of this?"

Yamcha then walked towards the ring, squeezing the tail a few times for good measure. Dad was looking around desperately, looking for a way out of it, while trying to ignore the pain that rocked through his body. I decided dad could probably use some encouragement, since Bulma was cheering for Yamcha.

"Come on Goku! You can still win! I know you can!" I shouted.

He had encouraged me in my fight with Cell, so I could do the same for him now. Yamcha had reached the end of the ring and prepared to throw him out. My encouragements seemed to have helped though as Goku got a determined look in his face. When Yamcha dropped him outside of the ring Goku reacted fast by wrapping his tail around Yamcha's ankle. This way Goku could pull himself back onto the ring and he unbalanced Yamcha at the same time.

"In an unexpected but effective move Goku used his weak point and formed it into a strong point. He managed to avoid crisis, for now. Will the tables turn again? Or will Yamcha still be able to beat his opponent?"

Both fighters once again, for what would be the last time, positioned themselves at their respective ends of the ring.

"That wasn't very nice, Yamcha," Goku said, sounding angry. Well, actually he sounded slightly annoyed, but in his case that was the same thing.

"Sorry kid, but I really want to win," Yamcha replied with a shrug.

Goku frowned for a second before smiling.

"Alright, I guess I can understand that," Goku said happily.

Yamcha stared at him incredulously, I just chuckled. That was my dad. But the fight had to go on. This time it was Goku who went on the offensive. He kicked and punched while carefully keeping his tail out of Yamcha's reach. Yamcha was able to block or evade most of the attacks that were sent his way, but some managed to slip through. Goku was both faster and stronger, Yamcha didn't stand a chance. After a few minutes Goku was able to land a few decisive blows.

A knee to Yamcha's stomach quickly followed up by a punch and two elbows in the ribs. After that Goku just picked Yamcha up by his right foot and threw him out of the ring, where he hit the ground.

"After an amazing battle Goku has finally managed to overpower his opponent and threw him out of the ring. That means we have our fourth semifinalist! Congratulations Goku!"

Meanwhile Goku had run over to Yamcha and was helping him back on his feet.

"Wow Yamcha, you've gotten really strong," I heard him say.

"Yeah, but it still wasn't enough by far," Yamcha replied with a disappointed look on his face.

Then they both climbed back onto the ring and started to walk towards the waiting hall where we were waiting. I was the first to greet them.

"You guys did great! Congratulations on your win Goku!" I said.

"Yeah, you guys were awesome!" Krillin added.

I expected Jackie Chun to also say something but apparently the old man had already wandered away. Probably looking for some young girls in the crowd.

"So, Goten. You're up against that Jackie Chun guy next right?" Yamcha asked.

"Yep," was my only answer.

"Be careful Goten, that guy is really though," Krillin warned me.

"Don't worry, I think I'll be fine. Besides, I'm really though myself."

"I know you can win Goten!" Goku said.

"Thanks Goku, I'll give it my best shot."

"Can Goten and Jackie Chun please report to the ring for the first of the semifinals!"

* * *

_Alright, finally another chapter. I hope it was worth the long wait, and if not, I can make up for it with the next chapters. Please leave a review with your opinion on my story, it really makes me happy to read your reviews._

_Also I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed my story._

_Usually I don't bother with written apologetics, but in this case I clearly have no other choice. I'm so sorry I had you wait this long for an update, I'll try to avoid it in the future._

_I also have a question for you people. I know there are a lot of stories out there in which the power levels of the characters are posted every chapter. I don't really care to read them when I am reading a story, but I do have a basic list of power levels for this story. So I was just wondering whether there were people out there who would like me to put those up every chapter. If not then I won't bother._


	10. Goten versus Jackie Chun

**Trip to the past**

**Chapter 10: Goten versus Jackie Chun**

I stared intently in Jackie Chun's eyes, waiting for the announcer to finally say we were allowed to begin. I could tell that I wasn't the only one getting impatient. He hid it well but I could see Jackie himself was also getting impatient. He clearly wanted to get this over with. He thought he could beat me fairly easily. He didn't underestimate me as bad as Giran had done, but he still didn't believe I could actually beat him. I would soon prove him wrong. As soon as that announcer finally said we could start this fight!

It wouldn't do any good to get overconfident myself though. I knew that if I paid attention there was no way I could lose this fight. But even I could lose if I allowed my arrogance to blind me. I let it happen once, but not again. Even if this wasn't a fight to the death. I had promised myself I wouldn't use any energy blasts, so the fight wouldn't be that easy. Should I get into a tight spot I just had to slightly raise my power level. But I'd have to be careful, wouldn't want to create lightning again.

"Let the first semifinal match begin!"

Finally, it was about time. I didn't react to the start of the match at all outwardly. I just continued staring at Jackie Chun, carefully keeping my face emotionless. Master Roshi stared straight back at me, standing in his usual Jackie Chun stance. Hands raised in the air, fingers hanging downwards.

"So Goten," he said mockingly "How much time did you spend this morning getting your hair to stand up like that? It looks like you missed a few strands though."

With that last sentence he pointed out the lock of hair that was hanging in front of my face. I knew he was trying to make me angry but he would have to come up with better insults than that.

"You're just jealous because your hair isn't as awesome as mine," I said in an attempt to imitate Vegeta's voice "And for your information, it naturally looks like this."

Jackie Chun just grunted in response. Apparently the first round was won by me. If I had known that messing with Master Roshi was this fun I would have stated doing it way earlier. Jackie Chun then charged at me, aiming a kick straight for my head. This would have caused most people to jump up to evade it, but I wasn't most people. I simply tilted my head slightly to the side, allowing his kick to pass by harmlessly.

Jackie looked at me in shock. I took advantage of his temporary lapse in attention to deliver a swift punch to his chest, knocking him backwards to the edge of the ring.

"Once again Goten proves that despite his age he is a very skilled fighter! He expertly dodged Jackie Chun's attack and then managed to counter with a punch of his own! Amazing!"

Jackie Chun quickly got up again and looked at me angrily.

"It looks like I underestimated you," he said.

"Yeah, you sure did!" I said, laughing.

He charged at me again, this time throwing punches. I noticed he was watching my moves more closely now. I quickly caught the punch he aimed at my chest with my right hand, making sure to not let go of it. Then I evaded the punch approaching my head once again by just bending my neck slightly to the side. Then I took hold of his first arm with my second hand too and swung him straight into the wall. The wall crumbled on impact and Jackie Chun was temporary buried.

"Jackie Chun is down! Let's see how long it lasts!"

I wanted to tell the announcer that he would get up before the count of ten, but that would just complicate matters, so I remained silent. Before the count of three was even reached Jackie Chun was back on his feet, dusting off his clothes.

"I don't understand, you're wearing a cape, that should somehow restrict your movements. But yet somehow you're still able to fight," Jackie Chun said in a questioning voice.

"Well, I like the cape, I only take it off when I have no other choice. But you aren't tough enough for that to be necessary," I said, knowing it would make him angry.

"That's it I've had it with you!" he shouted in anger.

I never knew Master Roshi could get this mad, in the future he was always so laid back. Watching TV or lying on the beach 'reading' magazines. I had to concentrate on the present however. Once again Jackie Chun charged at me. This time however he stopped right before he reached me. I could see his body blur slightly. An afterimage. I quickly looked around and saw a second image to my left. He left to afterimages! I quickly attacked the second, making him believe I had fallen for his trick. But when he appeared behind me I didn't punch the afterimage in front of me like he expected. Instead I raised my right foot behind my back, kicking him straight in the stomach. He doubled over in pain.

"Jackie Chun proves that he knows an impressive amount of techniques, but no matter what he tries, Goten always seems to be a step ahead!"

Jackie growled, it was clear he was getting very frustrated by now. I smiled innocently his way, just like I would do with Piccolo or dad during training after I hit them. I never knew it was this fun to get Master Roshi angry. If I had known before I would have started doing it earlier. Jackie looked conflicted for a second but then seemed to make a decision.

"If you think you're so great, then take this!" he said loudly.

He cupped his hands by his side. That was all I needed to figure it out. He was going to use the Kamehameha wave. I hadn't expected him to use it. Wasn't he trying to hide his true identity? It had to be some sort of miracle that nobody figured out he was actually Master Roshi.

"KA… ME… HA… ME…" he started to chant.

Normally I would just fire my own Kamehameha in defence. But I had promised myself I wouldn't use any energy attacks. So my only option left was to evade it, I couldn't block it either because that would betray my greater power level.

"HA!" Jackie Chun screamed, launching the wave straight at me.

Before I had the chance to jump out of the way the blast was already upon me, leaving me no choice but to block it. So, I quickly raised both of my hands, using my palms to block the incoming attack. I could feel the blast slowly starting to overpower me, this left me with no choice but to raise my power level. I was cautious as to raise it just high enough without generating lightning all around me.

After about ten seconds Jackie Chun stopped his attack, anxious to see my unconscious body most likely. The result wasn't what he expected though. I still stood there, hands raised, seemingly unaffected. His attack hadn't even caused a single wrinkle to appear in my clothes. Jackie just gaped at the sight before him.

"Would you look at that! It seems as if somebody else also mastered the Turtle Destruction Wave! But despite Jackie Chun's best efforts Goten still managed to block the attack as if it was nothing! Who is this incredible young man?"

I could hear Goku and Krillin whispering to each other, they sounded excited. Jackie Chun was now breathing heavily as he was looking at me incredulously. I just stared back at him, as if I hadn't just brushed of an incredibly powerful attack. I wasn't going to let my guard down. I didn't have to wait long before Jackie Chun released his next attack. After he regained his composure he took a few seconds to think of a good technique and then he started to stumble around the ring. What was he doing? He looked just like Yamcha that one time he got drunk. I cautiously approached him, his moves were erratic and didn't make any sense. While I was thinking he had somehow wobbled my way. Then, without me even realising what he was doing, he hit me in my face. I didn't know how he did it, but somehow he managed to punch me without me even noticing. I didn't understand, that was supposed to be impossible. I was much faster, I should be able to easily see every single one of his hits coming.

Somehow he had managed to slip past my guard, the question was how? How did he do it? Then it hit me, he was acting drunk. That meant his movements were unpredictable and didn't really make any sense. I couldn't defend from a punch if didn't even know it was a punch. I quickly put a little distance between the both of us so I could think of a plan. I had already figured out what he was doing, All I needed now was a way to counter it successfully. It had to be something I could do from a distance, because if I got too close he could hit me.

That's it! Drunk people may be unpredictable, but they also had poor balance. So all I had to do was somehow knock him off balance and I should get the advantage. I just had to create a small shockwave or something similar. I couldn't use an energy wave however, so I had to create it in a different way. All I could think of was if I punched the air hard enough to create a shockwave that would knock Jackie's socks off. I had to raise my power level slightly for it to work, but that couldn't be too much of a problem. My plan ready, I immediately put it to the test.

I walked a little closer to him, to increase the effectiveness, but I still made sure to stay out of his reach. Then I gave a quick, hard punch to the air. Just as predicted a shockwave was created, and also according to the expectations Jackie Chun fell to the ground, a slightly dazed look on his face. It always gave me a sense of victory if I managed to come up with a smart move to gain the advantage in a fight. It reminded me of Piccolo, since he relied heavily on tactics during a fight.

"You're too clever for your own good boy. Now I have no choice but to use this technique. I wanted to avoid it but it seems I have no choice," Jackie Chun said in a grave voice while slowly tucking up his sleeves.

"This is only the second time I've had to perform this technique, the first time was against Gohan Son," Jackie Chun continued, pausing slightly before he said the last two words.

I heard Goku gasp in the background. It was quite funny actually. He said he had only used it against Gohan Son, but that was my name. Of course he meant my great-grandfather, but it was just so funny because he didn't even realise it himself.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this," Jackie said, then he raised his hands.

What was he talking about? What technique did he know that was apparently so bad he was hesitant to use it? For the first time I had no idea at all what to expect next in this fight. Jackie Chun then placed his hands against each other and he started to charge up energy. I could feel the energy he was starting to gather, and it was a lot. I didn't know Master Roshi knew such a powerful attack. Then he suddenly pointed his palms in my direction and screamed something.

"Lightning Surprise Attack!"

The energy beam that shot from his hands next was unavoidable. It was so fast I doubt I could've avoided it at my full power. It was as fast as lightning. I didn't see it hit, but I could definitely feel it. I felt pain like I had never felt pain before. It was worse than that time on Namek when Frieza had beaten me. I had no idea that Master Roshi knew such a technique, no wonder he was hesitant to use it. I couldn't help the scream of pain that escaped my lips.

"Give up boy! If you don't, you'll die!" Jackie Chun shouted.

It was hard to think through the pain, but I definitely wasn't giving up. I had no other choice, I started to raise my energy once again. This time though, I raised it more. I didn't have to worry about lightning, I was being struck by a huge flash of lightning anyway. With one last scream my power level shot up high enough to easily shake of Jackie Chun's attack. But it did more than that. My sudden increase in power had blown Jackie Chun out of the ring completely. He landed in the crowd, I had won the match. The next ten seconds were made up of a deadly silence. I gratefully took that time to suppress my power level again. Then the people started to cheer loudly.

"In an astounding turn of events Goten somehow blasted Jackie Chun out of the ring. This means Goten is our first finalist!"

I shyly waved at the crowd for a minute, but then I turned my back on them and quickly walked off of the stage.

* * *

_Alright another chapter finished. I really like this one, it was also easy to write. It's slightly longer than most chapters but the next one is probably gonna be a little shorter._

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and please also review this chapter._


	11. Nam versus Goku

**Trip to the past**

**Chapter 11: Nam versus Goku**

After I left the ring I quickly headed towards my 'new' friends. They, apparently, were very impressed by my performance against Jackie Chun.

"Wow Goten, you were amazing!" Goku shouted.

"Yeah, and I could barely touch that guy," Krillin said, sounding disgruntled.

"Well, he was pretty tough," I said, trying to appease him, he still looked disappointed in himself though.

"Yeah, but you were way better!" Yamcha shouted suddenly, laughing at Krillin's face.

At that moment Jackie Chun decided to walk by. He didn't look very happy either, he mainly seemed frustrated. Probably because he entered the tournament for nothing. Seeing as he entered to stop his students from winning, but now he lost himself.

"He doesn't look too happy either!" Yamcha said loudly, clearly hoping the old man would hear him.

We all laughed at that. Then I decided it was time to change the subject. After all, there was one more semifinal match to come, one I was very excited about. Even though I wouldn't fight myself, seeing my father fight was the next best thing.

"You better win your next fight Goku. I really want to fight you in the finals," I said to Goku.

Goku quickly swallowed the food in his mouth, where he had gotten it this time I wasn't sure, and nodded.

"Sure, I'll try to beat him. I really want to fight you too, you seem really strong. But my opponent also looks pretty powerful. I'm not really sure I can beat him," he said.

"Don't worry Goku, I'm sure you'll do fine," I reassured him, knowing fully well his power level was significantly higher.

"Well, if you say so," Goku said, looking slightly more confident.

"Will Nam and Goku please report to the ring for the last match before the finals?"

"Sounds like it's your turn Goku. Quick, go!" I said.

"Alright, wish me luck!" he shouted over his shoulder as he ran towards the ring. I could see that on excited smile of his immediately appearing on his face.

"Let the last semifinal match begin!"

The moment the gong sounded to officially start the match Goku was on the offensive. He started by throwing punches at Nam's upper body, carefully avoiding his face for whatever reason. It became clear almost instantly that the older man certainly wasn't a pushover. Nam dodged or blocked every attack that Goku sent his way. It was obvious he was having a hard time trying to keep up with the velocity of Goku's attacks, but he did everything he could to gain the advantage. He was a real fighter, much more skilled than most of the other contestants. After a few minutes though, Nam's defence started to falter. The announcer didn't even notice, he was to engrossed in trying to keep up with the speed of the attacks. It was only after Goku punched Nam straight on his nose that he regained his bearings enough to say that Goku had the advantage, as if that wasn't obvious.

After Nam had fallen to the floor, trying to recover from the hard hit in his face, Goku seemed to wait for his opponent to get back up. After he was back on his feet Nam was the first to attack this time. He charged at Goku but he just jumped up to evade the kick aimed at his midsection. However, instead of looking disappointed, Nam grinned. He jumped up into the air and kicked a helpless Goku straight out of the ring. I knew my dad couldn't fly yet at this point in time, I was sure of that, but I still hoped he would come up with some crazy way to get back into the ring.

"It seems Nam has won the match, unless of course, Goku can come up with some way to get him back inside the ring!"

I watched as Goku flew through the air, unable to control his parabolic path out of the ring. It was clear he was starting to panic. A moment later however, that panicked grimace was replaced by a playful smile that just screamed mischief. He started to spin his tail around, mimicking the blades of a helicopter. Slowly but surely Goku was able to land back inside the safety of the ring.

"With smart use of his tail Goku has managed to land back inside the ring, this means the fight continues!"

This time neither of the contestants were attacking immediately. They were currently locked in a whole different kind of battle, a stare-down. After a few minutes of unblinking and watering eyes Goku finally took the initiative again.

"I got it!" he suddenly shouted, "Now let's see if this technique works."

It didn't seem to occur to Goku that it was quite unusual to invent a new technique in the middle of a fight. After a few more seconds Goku started spinning again. However, unlike last time when his tail had been spinning around, this time he was turning his whole body around its axis. His hands were clenched in fists and his arms were raised horizontally to his sides. Due to the speed at which he was spinning around it was nearly impossible to counter his attack. Nam seemed to realise this too, as he started to slowly back away from Goku's swinging fists. Then Goku started to move across the ring, slowly but surely making his way towards his opponent. How he could see what direction he had to go to I didn't know, surely he was spinning too fast to really notice any of his surroundings.

He would have to be careful though, if he didn't stop the technique in time he would probably have some problems later. If he wasn't able to force Nam out of the ring now, he would be at a severe disadvantage later, when he had to recover from his unavoidable bout of dizziness later.

"It looks like history repeats itself, just like in his last fight Nam is once again seen running away from his opponent. Maybe it's a secret technique of his?" the announcer shouted, it was clear he didn't really know what he was talking about.

Nam seemed to realise he couldn't keep running away, he would run out of place to run to soon. So he turned to fully face his adversary and tried to go on the offensive himself. Tried being the keyword in that particular sentence. It became clear after only a couple of tries that he couldn't even land a single hit on Goku. The younger boy was spinning so fast that every time he got near he would got a collection of punches all over his body, knocking him back again. The speed of his punches only seemed to add to the ferocity of his attack. Nam had no choice but too keep backing away, unfortunately for him he was running out of ring. But just as Nam was one step away from losing the fight Goku started to slow down. It didn't take long at all for him to come to a complete stop and fall to the ground, barely conscious.

Just as I had predicted he had become too dizzy to continue the attack, now I could only hope he would snap out of his obvious confusion and get back to the fight. But Nam wouldn't give him any time to recover. After a confused glance of his own Nam jumped up into the air.

"It seems Goku's technique backfired and now he is at Nam's mercy. Apparently Nam is once again going to end this fight with an aerial attack."

Nam was obviously preparing the same move that had finished Bacterian in a single hit. I just hoped that Goku was more resistant and the effects wouldn't be as devastating. After all my dad was bound to be tougher than that dirty, smelly human. Hold on, since when did I stop thinking about my father as a human? Perhaps Vegeta's speeches about saiyan pride were more effective than I thought. After all, it was true that saiyans were tougher and more resistant in general than humans. But still, I had to make sure that in the future I didn't let Vegeta affect me that much.

After reaching a height of over a hundred feet Nam started to descend once again. Just like in his last fight his arms were crossed in front of his face, ready to deal a finishing blow to his opponent. I watched in horror as Nam's arms came in contact with my father's neck. I had to use all of my self control to keep calm. Goku didn't get back up.

"It seems Goku is out! Time to start counting!"

"One…"

Come on dad, I know you're tougher than that, I know you can get back up. Don't disappoint me now.

"Two…"

You have a little time left, just get up and beat that guy into the ground. I believe in you father.

"Three…"

"Come on Goku," I heard Krillin mutter next to me.

"Four…"

"We know you can do it Goku," Yamcha said. I completely agreed.

"Five…"

Halfway already! Come on dad, please get up, you can't lose!

"Six…"

I want to fight _you_ in the finals, dad, not some other random guy. Don't give up!

"Seven…"

"He.. he's not getting up," Yamcha said shocked.

"Eight…"

"No Goku!" Krillin shouted.

"Nine…"

There's no more time, please dad.

"Te-" The announcer was cut off before he could finish be Goku suddenly jumping back to his feet.

Goku was holding both of his hands at his throat, obviously having trouble breathing. The crowd just watched in shock.

"Unbelievable! Against all odds Goku is once again standing on his feet. That was very close, but it looks like that match isn't over quite yet!"

I should've seen that one coming. My dad has a tendency to always do things on the edge of being too late. It was a side of him I both loved and hated. I loved it because I knew that my dad would always be there to save me. But I hated it because it made me think he wouldn't. But that was just dad.

The fight wasn't over yet, and once more Goku and Nam faced of inside the ring. Goku went on the offensive one last time, this time determined to give it his all and knock Nam out of bounds. I recognized that look very well. It meant the fight was nearly over. Whether he lost or won, it wouldn't last much longer. The happy smile on his face was gone, now it was a serious face. Not quite scowling, but close enough. No, he wouldn't lose this fight, he was going to win. Not that I ever doubted him of course.

Goku launched a barrage of perfectly coordinated punches and kicks. Nam tried putting up a fight but he just couldn't match the ferocity of it. The punches went around his defences without him noticing, the kicks just barged through the defences, not even bothering to get around them. It didn't take long for Goku to further press his advantage and force Nam out of the ring cleanly.

"Wow, after an amazing comeback Goku has managed to win his match by knocking Nam out of the ring. We now know our two contestants for the finals, Goten and Goku!"

Goku just laughed in happiness and then turned his attention to me.

"I won't hold back during our fight, so you better don't either," he said.

"Of course not," I said.

I felt slightly bad about the lie, but I promised myself that I would tell him the truth soon enough. When we were alone and nobody could listen in on our conversation.

* * *

_Sorry for being a little late, I was planning to write this in the weekend, but it turned out I didn't have any time. Then on monday I lost my inspiration..._

_Anyway, it turned out to be longer than I expected, which is why i didn't add in the confontation wth Master Roshi. You'll have to wait another chapter for that one._

_A few of you have remarked that Kami, Mr. Popo, Korin and Master Roshi can sense power levels. Well, I believe Master Roshi only learned that when Goku came back from kami's training. Because korin doesn't teach it to his students. I don't think Mr. Popo can sense power levels himself. Kami sensed it, but since it wasn't evil he had no real interest in it. His job is to guard Earth, not look for strong fighters to train. And then we have korin, well, I believe the old cat just doesn't care enough to look for any power levels more than ten miles away from his tower. I hope that answers those questions._

_I'd like to say that I personally really find it important that evrything makes sense in my story. So if you find anything that doesn't seem to fit, please tell me and i'll look at it. It might be, like with the power level sensing, that I already have an answer. But if I don't, I'll think of one._

_Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. Please review, and I'll update as soon as possible. But the next update will probably b one for my other story._


	12. Confrontation

**Trip to the past**

**Chapter 12: Confrontation**

After the match Yamcha, Krillin, Goku and I were standing together. Yamcha and Krillin were busy speculating about who would win the finals and how the fight would go. Goku was spending his time getting me completely worked up for our match, not that that was really necessary, I was anxious enough as it is.

"And then I'd use the Kamehameha wave. Do you know an energy attack? Maybe you can try the Kamehameha wave too?" Goku said. He was talking so fast I had trouble keeping up. It didn't seem to cross his mind that most people needed a lot of training to master the Kamehameha wave.

Just at the moment that Goku took a deep breath to continue his monologue, Master Roshi interrupted. He had gotten rid of his wig and had put his glasses back on. Apparently his Jackie Chun disguise wasn't needed anymore, thanks to me.

"Oh, hello Master Roshi? What are you doing here?" Goku asked.

"Well, I thought I should wish you luck for the final match Goku. And tell you all that you did great in the tournament. I never expected you to make the finals," Master Roshi said, glancing at me when he spoke that final sentence.

"Thanks Master Roshi! I'll try my best!" Goku said.

"I'm sure Goku will win. I mean, no offense Goten, but Goku is just the best," Krillin said, sounding confident that Goku would wipe the floor with me. In the future dad could win, but not when he was twelve.

"I don't know Krillin, Goten looked pretty strong to me. I don't think I could've beaten Jackie Chun like that," Goku said. That was strange, my father was usually more confident. Maybe he could already see that I was stronger than him. Could he already sense ki at some level? Or perhaps he was just being modest.

"Well anyway, we'll know it pretty soon. The final match was supposed to start after a break of twenty minutes right?" I said.

"Goten, there was something I wanted to ask of you," Master Roshi suddenly said.

"Oh.. um, what is it?" I said reluctantly. I had a feeling I wasn't going to like his question at all. The small frown on Master Roshi's face didn't help that restless feeling at all.

"Well, I wondered how you managed to block Jackie Chun's Kamehameha wave? I invented that move and I'd like to know how you did it. I have seen it deflected before, but never have I seen it blocked with someone's bare hands," Master Roshi explained.

I was right, I didn't like this question. Just when everything was going smoothly something had to go wrong. I never got any rest, instead of invasive aliens I now got an annoyingly curious old man. Now I had to think of a good excuse real fast.

"Uh… Well, you see, I'm not really sure myself," I stuttered. Great, what a defence, I should become a lawyer. I took a deep breath and tried again. Trying not to notice everyone incredulous facial expressions at my statement.

"I mean, I wanted to dodge the attack, but I was too late. So I just threw up my hands in reflex. I guess his attack wasn't really that strong, he probably hadn't fully mastered it yet. If you used the move on me I probably wouldn't come out of it unscathed," I explained, this time successfully.

The last piece of my explanation wasn't true of course, and Master Roshi knew this. But as long as the others were near he couldn't inquire about it. The only problem was that he would be even more suspicious of me now. I'd have to make an effort to avoid Master Roshi for the time being. I couldn't risk running into him while I was alone. That could be disastrous. If I had to tell anyone who I really was, it would definitely be my father.

"Wow, I guess you got really lucky then?" Goku said. At least Goku believed me without question. Sometimes it was a good thing he was so naïve.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I won't beat you in the finals," I said, glad that I managed to escape the suspicions for now.

"One more thing Goten," Master Roshi suddenly said.

You have got to be kidding me. More questions? I was almost afraid to ask what it was. I could hardly say that I wouldn't answer. That was probably the most suspicious thing I could do besides telling the truth. I could only hope this question was easier to avoid than the last one.

"It's all right, I don't mind helping the great Master Roshi," I said, wincing when I noticed the slightest hint of sarcasm slipping into my voice. My words projected the opposite of my thoughts, answering Master Roshi honestly was the last thing I wanted to do at the moment.

"I was wondering how you blew Jackie Chun out of the ring? One moment he was attacking and the next he was crashing into the crowd. It all happened very fast, so I'm not sure what happened," Master Roshi asked.

"I was wondering about that too actually. Did you use some kind of energy wave on him?" Yamcha suddenly asked.

Great, now I had two people asking me questions. I would be lucky if I could keep my secret until the end of the day.

"Actually, um, I don't know how to use energy attacks. I don't use them at all. I'm not really sure how he got blown out of the ring. I think it had to do with the recoil of his attack getting broken," I slowly explained, a nervous laugh at the end. Even though it didn't come out very fluently, at least this excuse was perfectly believable. Except for, of course, Master Roshi.

Maybe, if I was very lucky, I could convince him that I wasn't aware that I had hidden powers. That I only got more power when I was in danger. After all, I used to be like that, way back before Raditz came to Earth and Piccolo started to train me. That thought died away however when I saw Master Roshi's piercing stare. I didn't even know it was possible to glare at a person while you had sunglasses on. Somehow though, Master Roshi managed.

I was quite used to being glared at. Most of the time Vegeta, but sometimes also mom, or even Bulma if she was in a bad mood. But when they glared at me it was with the promise of punishment, or in Vegeta's case, pain. Master Roshi's glare, however, was different. It was a glare that seemed to be picking me apart, analysing my every movement. I wished that I was a better liar, so I could fool the old man. But neither me nor my father ever were good liars. And Master Roshi has had about three hundred years to learn how to recognize a liar.

After watching me for a couple more moments Master Roshi eased up. For once I hoped he would go back to his perverted pastimes and left me alone.

"Well, that makes sense. Too bad, it would've been awesome if you had really blown him out of the ring, but I should've known. You're not that good after all," Krillin said. It made me look at him weird, he was different from the Krillin I knew. They were alike, but this Krillin sometimes made a couple rude remarks. It actually made me kind of sad. Krillin had always been one of my best friends, and to hear him talk like that to me, it hurt. But I couldn't really blame him, he didn't know me that well, and he told me once in the future that he used to be a pretty mean kid before he met my dad.

"Well, maybe, but I'm sure I can give Goku a good challenge at the very least," I said, slightly offended.

"Huh?" was Goku's only response. Apparently he hadn't been paying much attention to the conversation.

Yamcha and him were talking to a group of girls who had come to see the finalists. Yamcha was of course trying to impress them. But next to Goku who was just looking around innocently, he didn't really stand a chance. Goku's 'cute act' was much more effective than Yamcha's tough boy act. It was good to see that that hadn't changed a bit over time. Then I got a good idea to rid me of Master Roshi's questioning for the time being. Up until now I had been able to come up with good excuses, but my luck was bound to run out sometime. Better to avoid it altogether.

"Master Roshi, do you think maybe those girls would be interested in meeting the famous Turtle Hermit?" I asked, pointing at the girls in question. I there was one thing I had learned during my various stays on Master Roshi's island then it was the fact that he was obsessed by young girls. I did get his attention, and as predicted he immediately ran over to them. I was free, for now.

"Hey, where'd Master Roshi go?" Goku asked, apparently he had gotten tired of the girls and had wandered back over to us. I just pointed at him in answer.

"Can Goten and Goku please come to the ring?" I heard the announcer yell.

"Huh, that's weird, it's still five minutes until the match is supposed to start," I said, slightly confused.

"Doesn't matter, I want to fight now!" Goku said loudly, pulling me along with him towards the ring. When we arrived there however it became clear we weren't going to be fighting just yet. The announcer wanted to interview us.

"So boys, you are our youngest finalists ever, but exactly how old are you?" he asked us. Goku seemed to need some time t think about his answer so I told him first.

"I'm eleven, but I'll be twelve in a few weeks," I said. I actually was already twelve, but to keep my birthday on the same day it would be easier to pretend I was eleven.

"I'm twelve," Goku said.

"Wow people, did you hear that? Our finalists are only eleven and twelve years of age! This certainly is a new record!"

I laughed awkwardly when the people cheered but Goku just ignored them. He seemed to be trying to figure out how the microphone made his voice so loud.

"Goku, you're a student of Master Roshi, right?" the announcer asked.

"Yes, Krillin is too," Goku answered.

"Alright, can you tell us something about his training? It's supposed to be really special. And it has to be to make you so strong."

"Oh, it's not that special. First we have pre-morning training, then we have morning training, then we eat lunch. Um, what's next? Oh yeah, then we have early afternoon training, next is-" Goku talked, unaware of the crowd's amusement.

"That's nice Goku, but I think we get it now," the announcer quickly interrupted, realising he wasn't going to get a clear answer.

I could hear Goku mutter that he wasn't finished yet, he looked so funny when he was frowning.

"And you Goten, who was your teacher?" the announcer asked curiously.

"Well my father actually, but he wasn't really famous. I learned to fight mostly through experience," I said, hoping it was believable enough. I didn't want any more difficult questions for the rest of the day.

"Alright, one final question for the both of you then. Who do you think will win the final fight?" he asked us.

"I will win," we both said at the same time. Then we laughed at each other.

"Well, I think we can all agree that it's certainly going to be a great match!" the announcer shouted in his microphone.

Goku and I looked at each other I anticipation.

"Let the finals of the twenty-first World Martial Arts Tournament begin!"

* * *

_This took way too long, but I got it done. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this. You're all probably very excited about the next chapter(I would be), but there's a small problem. Starting on Friday I'll be on vacation for a week, so I won't post any new chapters until the seventeenth at the earliest. I'm sorry for all of you who have trouble waiting. For the readers of my other story, they'll also have to wait a while longer._

_I didn't get as much reviews for the last chapter, in case that one wasn't good enough, I hope this one makes up for it. Please review, it might give me new inspiration to write._


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